For her part, Lela Lee is preparing for Comic-Con her back-to-school line, with products including pencils, calculators that say, "Stupid people get on my nerves" and alarm clocks that say, "I hate school." In addition to her "Angry Little Girls" books, Lee's handbags, shirts, wallets and other merchandise has been available in Hot Topic, and will be available in San Rio stores.

Sean Chen and Bernard Chang strike a pose at their Artists Alley table at the New York Comic-Con. For more about Chen and Chang, visit www.theblvdstudio.com.

Although this my first Usagi Yojimbo comic I ever read, I've known of the character from his cameos on Teenage Mutants Ninja Turtles TV series back in the early '90s (which I imagine was a lot of people's introduction to the rabbit ronin). That said the comic surpassed my expectations. I anticipated a cutesy cartoon with outlandish plots and soon-to-be action-figure characters.

Instead, Usagi Yojimbo is a samurai adventure akin to Samurai Executioner and Lone Wolf and Cub, geared for all ages. There isn't bloody splattering violence or lewd sexual behavior, but the morality tale set around the noble bushido bunny is no less moving than its Japanese roots. The completeness of issue's story follows the hallmark of the genre while letting new readers to pick it up easily. Usagi Yojimbo #110 is accessible and enjoyable without requiring knowledge of earlier issues or a degree in Japanese culture. Or anthropomorphic physiology.

Secret Asian Man has appeared in AsianWeek since 2002, and since July 2007, the mouthless, bushy-eyebrowed Asian American cartoon has been syndicated in daily newspapers nationwide, challenging stereotypes and provoking thoughts about race while making readers laugh. The series is based on Toyoshima's life and regularly deals with Asian American issues in a hip, refined manga style.

Before it became syndicated and read by a mainstream audience, the strip dealt mainly with Asian American issues. Early strips were angrier in tone, but as time went on and Toyoshima matured as an artist, the tone lightened. He raised questions in his strips for readers to ponder rather than merely venting. But he's not afraid to still tackle heavy subjects like Vincent Chin, the Chinese American who was beaten to death in 1982 by two white autoworkers who believed they had lost their jobs to the Japanese.

... it was surprising when Gene Yang's graphic novel, "American Born Chinese" was nominated for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2006.

And nobody was more surprised than Yang.

"When I first started publishing 'American Born Chinese,' it was a mini comic," he said. "I would finish a chapter, take it to Kinko's and Xerox it and sell it at different comic book conventions. My big plan was to just get it collected as a graphic novel and that would be it."

"I do get some reactions to the Cousin Chin-Kee that worry me a little bit," said Yang, who will be discussing and signing "American Born Chinese" and his other books at Big Planet Comics in Bethesda on Wednesday. "There's some people that come up and tell me, 'He's so cute, so funny, endearing.' That's definitely not what I was going for,"

Yang believes that most people understood the purpose of a character like Chin-Kee -- acting as the juxtaposition against his popular, assimilated cousin.

"I think the vast majority of the responses are positive, but I have had some Asian-Americans and come up and tell me I was perpetuating the stereotype by explicitly showing it," he said.

Boston Comic Spectacular Welcomes DC Artist Cliff Chiang April 13th

BOSTON - The Boston Comic Book, CD/Record & Pop Culture Spectacular returns with its next big show on Sunday, April 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel, located at 200 Stuart St. in the 6th floor Convention Center.

Artist Cliff Chiang tops the show's guest list, which also features a large sampling of talented locals.

Tens of thousands of New England Comic Book fans have enjoyed previous editions of the popular longtime Boston Comic Book Spectacular which started in 1975 when the hotel was known as Howard Johnson's 57. It is Boston's largest comic book convention and the longest-running show of its kind in the same location in the United States. The show features over 12,000 square feet and 130 tables of comic books and their creators, original comic art, and toys, plus a media room with thousands of collectible CDs and records from rock to rap and hard-to-find feature movies on both DVD and VHS.

In addition to Chiang, the convention will also showcase local favorites Hannibal King, Zeke Savory Jr., Shawn Corliss, Mike Doherty, Rich Woodall, Sean Kasper, Richard D. Irving, Monolith Press, and many more. Free space is still available for aspiring local artists.

New England's finest collectibles dealers will be there with over a million comic books and thousands of hard-to-find CDs and records. Monkeyhouse Entertainment also runs comic book conventions in New York City, Hartford, Portsmouth, and Portland, but Boston is their hometown and will always be their favorite show.

The Boston Comic Book, CD/Record & Pop Culture Spectacular will be held Sunday, April 13, at the Boston Radisson Hotel, 200 Stuart St., 6th floor Convention Center. The comic and toy show will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The media room will open at 9:30 a.m.

The convention is located in Boston's famous entertainment district, near the MBTA's Boylston stop. The host hotel is situated across the street from Legal Seafood, Chef Chang's, Bennigan's, and Fleming's Steak House, as well as over 100 quality Asian restaurants in nearby Chinatown. Come early, go to a world-class restaurant for lunch, and then come back to catch the late bargains and raffles!

The Boston comic con bargain, admission is just $5 with the discount coupon which can be found at the show's web site (www.monkeyhouseentertainment.com) or at many fine comic and collectibles stores throughout New England (see the web site for a list). Come in costume as your favorite comic book character and pay just $4 to get in. Children under 10 admitted free. There is a parking garage on site, with direct entrance into the show.

Monkeyhouse Entertainment
978-462-2788

Location: Radisson Hotel, 200 Stuart St., 6th Floor Convention Center